The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-02-05
BETRAYAL OF TRUST,
The Only Way of Stopping Corruption and
Fraud in High Places.

looked for, not in the ranks of outside
barbarians, thirsting for conquest and
plumber, not in the forays of an Attila
Jenghis Chan, but in debased and de-
moralized public sentiment. The re-
version of the civilized world to barbar-
ism will be brought about if at all, by
a laxity of morals and a disposition to
minimize the gravity of certain public
offcnses, and to tolerate if not to en-
courage the offenders.
The danger lies chiefly in the line of
excusing or palliating breaches of con-
fidential relations existing between en-
ployers and employees, or principals and
agents. Such relations, which were
formerly considered SO sacred as to be
absolutely inviolable, are now broken
every day and constantly, and their fire.
quent repetition seems to have blunted
the popular perception of their enor-
nifty. Skipped to Canada" seems to
be standing caption in the Eastern
papers, while the measure of the guilt
of the offender is not the olfense, but its
detection. Embezzlement, fraudulent
conversion, breach of trust and similar
crimes have grown so common as to
scarcely excite comment, and even if
remarked upon, it is generally from
the standpoint of the i'll fortune of the
employer, not the crime of the employee.
This vicious tone of public feeling is
not confined to the United States. In
England, France and Germany the
same sentiment prevails, though posi-
bly, in less degree. In those countries,
as well as in our own, successful ras-
cality is looked up to, and the man who
has made fortune by robbing others,
provided he has been adroit enough to
escape the law, is quite as we'll re-
spected and quite as highly esteemed
as he is under our more modern and
less polished civilization. There, as
amount of money, and not the way in
which if was obtained; and society is
very careful how it throws any mud
against the walls of the town man.
sion in London or the palace in
Paris, even though its occupant may
have made his fortune by robbing his
employer or appropriating trust funds.
1t is of no practical use to pass penal
statutes against such offenses as these
unless they are supplemented by public
opinion. The conviction and punish
ment of one or half dozen mbezzlers
will produce no lasting effect unless So
ciety will consent to ostracise and
boycott the recognized but unconvicted
swindlers who blossom and flourish
in their midst 1t is the men
who are beyond the reach of the
law who are so dangerous to public
morality. The very fact of their having
been able to defraud and swindle so
cunningly as to escape punishment is in
itself more fatal to n healthy tone of
popular sentiment than would be the
existence Of an active criminal element
which was known and dreaded, and
against which society would be con-
stantly on its guard. To certain weak
minds the temptation to take advantage
of the trust reposed in them, if it can
be done safely, is irresistible. And why
not? They look around them and they
see here stately mansion built from
the stolen savings of widows and or
phans, there a magnificent country seat
equipped and adorned from the de-
posts of an insolvent bank, and yonder
a gorgeous public edifce donated to an
admiring populace by some wealthy
swindler or Doodle alderman. Why
should they not argue with themselves
that what is a virtue in one case can
not be a crime in another, and that if
the embezzlement of half q million
makes man honored and respected,
the theft of ten or twenty thousand is a
favorable beginning in securing the
esteem of society?
We must learn to call men and things
by their right names if we hope to re-
verse the current of public sentiment
and to elevate the tone and character of
the civilization of which we so proudly
boast. If a confidential clerk uses his
employers money as his own he should
be called thief and his act felony.
Instead of talking about shortage in
his accounts or discrepancy in his
books, the fact should be stated in bold,
direct language that he has stolen from
his employer. Canada should no longer
be alluded to as the paradise of success
full financiers, but should be considered
as the refuge Of robbers and swindlers
who keep out of the penitentiary only
by reason of defective extradition treat
les.
In such way as this, and in no other,
can the torrent of corruption and fraud
which threatens to overwhelm us be
stemmed. Until society shall emphatic
ally set the seal of its condemnation
upon the offense, and exclude from its
charmed circle the offender, we shall
look in vain for an effectual enforce
ment of the law. The crimes of defalca-
ton and embezzlement must be made
shameful and disgraceful in themselves,
as well rs punishable by imprisonment,
and the offenders held up to public
scorn and obloquy as dangerous to the